Abiding Fruit Study: PEACE
Passage to Read: Philippians 4:4-9
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – Rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you have learned and received from me – everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. (NLT)
Peace is a promise with a condition!
- Ask and Thank, THEN you will receive
- Practice what you learn from me and see me doing, THEN you will receive
Imagine never being worried about anything! How great would that be?!?! I know, I know… it seems like impossibility – we all have worries: finances, marriages, kids, pets, car issues, schedule conflicts, health conditions, you name it it’s a worry! But Paul gives some awesome advice – turn your worries INTO prayers.
Think of it like this: WORRY = STOP, DROP, AND PRAY!!!!
Yes, it is that SIMPLE! Literally, wherever you are, when worry creeps up, don’t give the devil a foothold to corrupt your mind – STOP, DROP, AND PRAY! Give it to God, and then watch God give you the words to tell the devil to combat that worry – you are VICTORIOUS and you will defeat worry, if you just get on your knees.
Our Thoughts are SO important! I don’t think we realize that our “thoughts” is something we are held accountable for too. I know you are probably thinking “WHAT?!” – but it’s true. God knows EVERY thought you think, just like He knows your heart!
Think about it this way…
Computers are serving nearly every segment of society. But they have on flaw – they are dependent on the programs and information put into them. So, is your mind!
Your mind is like a computer. If it only has crud going into it, you will most likely only think about, say, and do “crud”! But if you think about what is pure, just, honest, right, holy, true, worthy – you will find that your thoughts will be held captive to the Word of God and produce LIFE to you. It really is as simple as this!
The hard part comes in trying to keep out the “crud”! It truly doesn’t take much to pollute our minds. So, what is the solution? Reprogram your mind! There are no shortcuts or convenient ways to do this. This takes work and dedication.
Steps to reprogramming your mind:
1. Guard your eyes!
What do you watch on TV? When you turn on that certain show you can’t wait to watch, does it give you nightmares at night? Does it bring glory to God? Does it make you feel good about yourself? Does it change your attitude? Depending on your answers, you might to rethink what types of shows you are allowing your mind to watch!
What do you watch on TV? When you turn on that certain show you can’t wait to watch, does it give you nightmares at night? Does it bring glory to God? Does it make you feel good about yourself? Does it change your attitude? Depending on your answers, you might to rethink what types of shows you are allowing your mind to watch!
2. Guard your ears!
What kind of stuff do you listen to? Think about the music, the radio, the friends in your life. Do the things that are “said” by these sources… do they bring glory to God? Do they make you compromise your faith? Do they change your attitude? Do they make you feel good about yourself? Depending on your answers, you might have to make some changes, and yes, that could mean losing a friend.
What kind of stuff do you listen to? Think about the music, the radio, the friends in your life. Do the things that are “said” by these sources… do they bring glory to God? Do they make you compromise your faith? Do they change your attitude? Do they make you feel good about yourself? Depending on your answers, you might have to make some changes, and yes, that could mean losing a friend.
3. Guard your heart!
What kind of stuff are you reading? From magazines, to the blogs, to the internet, to books… Do these things bring glory to God? Do these things make you question what the Bible says? Do these things make you feel good about yourself or do they make you want to “like” a picture or image? Depending on your answers, you will want to audit your reading style and make a change.
What kind of stuff are you reading? From magazines, to the blogs, to the internet, to books… Do these things bring glory to God? Do these things make you question what the Bible says? Do these things make you feel good about yourself or do they make you want to “like” a picture or image? Depending on your answers, you will want to audit your reading style and make a change.
The more exposure to things that have polluted your mind, the longer it will take to clear our minds and reprogram them!
The reprogramming process beings when we realize that destructive thoughts and images are trying to get a foothold in our mind, and then kick them out! You kick them out by using the Sword of the Spirit – the Bible! Begin memorizing Scriptures to conquer the pollutant in your mind and you will defeat it and reprogram your mind – and the freedom you experience is like none other!
My Princess,
I want your mind fixed on Me, My beloved. But I want even more from you. I desire great things for you, so I want you to guard your mind by making an "aware list"--all the things you watch, listen to, and read. Let Me show you the things that can carry you away from your calling and destroy your dedication to Me. Even your thoughts can be held captive by the ways of the world.
I want to protect you, but I will never force you to listen to My Spirit or make your mind dwell on what is true, pure, and right. The choice is yours, My love. You can have an abundant life, a blessed life-a life of influence for others to follow; or you can join the way of the world. I, your God, am asking you today to let your mind dwell on Me, and you will discover the kind of life you long to enjoy not only now, but forever.
Love,
Your King and your Peace of Mind
I want your mind fixed on Me, My beloved. But I want even more from you. I desire great things for you, so I want you to guard your mind by making an "aware list"--all the things you watch, listen to, and read. Let Me show you the things that can carry you away from your calling and destroy your dedication to Me. Even your thoughts can be held captive by the ways of the world.
I want to protect you, but I will never force you to listen to My Spirit or make your mind dwell on what is true, pure, and right. The choice is yours, My love. You can have an abundant life, a blessed life-a life of influence for others to follow; or you can join the way of the world. I, your God, am asking you today to let your mind dwell on Me, and you will discover the kind of life you long to enjoy not only now, but forever.
Love,
Your King and your Peace of Mind
~
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
~Philippians 4:7, NIV~
~Philippians 4:7, NIV~
© Sheri Rose Shepard, His Princess Ministries from “His Princess Love Letters from Your King” book.
I love how you point out that we ARE responsible for our thoughts. And they are so important. I'm really working to change my thought patterns away from worry and more toward prayer. (I'm too much of a worrier.)
ReplyDeleteI also love your list of three steps to reprogram our minds. Good stuff, Bekah! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for linking up with Do Not Depart.